Folding cot



(No Model.)

efJ. sK AU. Folding Got.-

' Patented S%pt. 21,1880.

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PATENT oAnLTJ; sum), or RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

FOLDING COT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,418, datedSeptember 21, 1880.

, Application filed April 15, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CARL J. SKAfI, of Racine, in the county of Racine, inthe State of VVisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Folding Cots, of which the following, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on line .101, Figs. 2 and 3.

A represents the frame of the cot, and B the support for the bedding,which support may be made of canvas or other suitable material.

C (l are the ends of the frame, which consist of folding X-shaped parts,each made of two bars, a a, connected pivotally at or near their centersby means of a bolt, to, held in place by means of a nut.

bis a washer rigidly'applied to the inner face of one of the bars a a,the center of the said washer being coincident with the longitudinal oraxial center of the said bolt.

1) is an elongated notch cut in the edge or perimeter of the washer b,forming therein the shoulders I) b.

c is a pin projecting from the inner face of the other bar a, and soarranged as to move in the notch 12 when the bars a a are turned on thebolt connecting them, and the pin 0, in connection with the shoulders bb, serve as a stop to restrict or limit the folding movement of the barsa to, allowing them, when unfolded, to stand in the position indicatedor shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5, but preventing them from standingfarther apart at their ends, and permitting them to be folded up untiltheir ends meet or nearly meet.

Both ends of the frameAshould be provided with means for preventing thebars a a from being spread too far apart when unfolded, and the meansdescribed and employed for that purpose is clearly represented in Fig.5.

The lower halves or parts of the bars a a (No model.)

serve as legs, and the upper parts as canvassupports or supports for theside rails, hereinafter referred to, and to which the canvas is applied,as will hereinafter more fully appear. The lower ends of the bars a aare beveled off to stand flatly on the floor when the cot is set up, asshown in Fig. 3, and their upper ends are cut to then present verticalfaces, as is also represented in the figure last above referred to d isaplate having thereon the tapering dovetail lug d, and rigidly attachedto the central part of the inner face of each inner bar, a, as-

indicated in Fig. 4, the narrowest end of the said lug being uppermost.

c c are-dovetail grooves in the upper ends of the bars a a, and fis apivoted latch or lock bar, also applied toand projecting somewhat beyondthe said ends when the free ends of the said latches are in theirhighest posi tions, as indicated in Fig. 3 and by the broken lines inFig. 6. The grooves c e are tapering, their broadest ends beinguppermost.

D is the connecting-bar for connecting the ends 0 G.

g g are ferrules on the ends of the bar D, and g g are tapering dovetailgrooves in the ends of the said ferrules. These grooves g g are adaptedand arranged to slide and rest upon the lugs d d, and firmly engage thesame when the parts are thus arranged together, and bind the ends 0 Ofirmly to the coimecting-bar.

d is a pivoted latch on each end of the bar D, and intended for thepurpose hereinafter mentioned.

The detail views in Fig. 4. are intended to show those features ofconstruction relating to the means employed for detachably connectingthe ends 0 O to the bar D.

E E are the side bars or rails, and h h are tapering dovetail lugsthereon. The lugs h h are adapted and arranged to enter and engage thegrooves 11 c, the broader ends of the said lugs being upward.

t 'i are slots or recesses in the rails E E, and are arranged justunderneath the lugs. h h, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, and so as toreceive the projecting ends of the latches ff, which will then look thebars E E detachably to the ends 0 O.

F F are bars pivoted at their inner ends to the inner sides of faces ofthe bars E E,-a little way back from the ends of the latter.

G G are notched or serrated bars, pivoted at their inner ends to thebars F F, and jj are pins extending from the bars E E.

H is a connecting bar or hook linked to the outer end of one of the barsF F, and hooked into an eye on the outer end of the other of the saidbars, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The bars F F are jointed, as indicated at 70, Fig. 1, and the outersections thereof stand vertically, and have their upper ends connectedby means of a hook, H.

Z Z are pins for supporting the bars F F.

B, as before stated, is the canvas. I stitch the canvas together aroundthe bars E E and around the bars F and F, and fold it over the hooks Hand H and to confine about the hooks temporarilyIemploy the loops m mand buttons 02 a.

To support the outer ends or sections of the bars F F vertically Iemploy the canvas tiepieces B B.

J J are buckles, and K K are straps attached, respectively, to theopposite longitudinal edges of the canvas I.

Toset up the cot I proceed as follows: I take the end pieces,O O, andspread them apart as far as the stops thereon will permit, Ithen takethe connecting-bar D, and attach it to the ends 0 O by setting thegrooved ends thereof down upon the lugs d d and turning the latches f funderneath the broad ends of the said lugs, thus temporarily lockingthese parts together. I then take the bars E E and the parts connectedthereto, as described, and apply and temporarily lock the said bars tothe upper ends of the bars a a of the end pieces, 0 G, in like manner asthe bar D was connected and locked to the said end pieces. I then unfoldthe bars F and F and place the hooks H and H in their respective eyes. Ithen set the bars G G so that the pinsjj will engage the notches thereinand support the bars F F at the inclination desired. The bars F F willbe supported on the pins 1 l. I then fold the ends of the canvas overthe hooks H and H, and pass the loops m at about the buttons at a. Thecot is now ready for use.

To take apart and fold up the parts constituting the cot I proceed inabout the reverse of the manner described for setting it up, though, aswill be perceived, the mode of setting up and taking down and foldingthe cot may be varied.

After I have detach ed the top from theframe the end pieces and theirconnecting-bar may be folded or rolled up within the canvas, andconfined there by means of the buckles J J and straps K K, making theWhole very compact.

Removable handles L L may be applied to the ends of the bars E E.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a portable folding cot, of the X-shaped ends 0 O,the tapering dovetail lugs d d, having their narrower ends upward andcentrally and rigidly applied to the inner sides of the said end pieces,the removable center bar, D, having on its ends the 1 ferrules g g,containing the tapering dovetail grooves g g, adapted and arranged toreceive the lugs d d, and the pivoted latches d 61, arranged on thebarD, as shown and described with relation to the said lugs, whereby thesaid bar is rendered capable of being easily applied, removed, andlocked to the ends 0 O,-

substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a portable folding cot, of the X-shaped ends G 0,each consisting of the bars a 0, having in their upper ends the taperingdovetail grooves c 6, having their broader ends upward, the removableside rails, E E, having near each end a tapering dovetail lug, h,adapted and arranged to enter the grooves e e, and also having thereinthe slots or recesses 13 "i, and the pivoted latches ff, applied to thebars a a, and adapted and arranged to cover the lower ends of thegrooves e e and to enter the slots or recesses '5 t, whereby theside-rails are rendered capable of being easily applied, removed, andlocked to the upper ends of the bars a a.

CARL J. SKAU. Witnesses F. F. WARNER, Orms. H. TALLMADGE.

